United States onlyIllumina is seeking an experienced Upstream Product Manager to drive strategy and market intelligence for our high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform portfolio, with a focus on the NovaSeq X and adjacent whole genome sequencing (WGS) solutions. This is a high-visibility role that sits at the intersection of market insight, competitive intelligence, and long-range strategy — directly informing how Illumina shapes the future of sequencing.
You will serve as the voice of the market internally, translating customer research, competitive signals, and technology trends into clear strategic direction for R&D, commercial, and executive stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
Market Research & Customer Insights
- Design and execute primary market research programs including conjoint analyses, customer interviews, focus groups, and quantitative surveys to define unmet needs and willingness-to-pay.
- Synthesize market data into actionable insights that inform product positioning, pricing strategy, and investment prioritization.
- Build and maintain a deep understanding of key customer segments including academic medical centers, clinical laboratories, biopharma, and large-scale genomics service providers.
Competitive Intelligence & Market Landscape
- Partner with Product Marketing to contribute to the competitive intelligence function for high-throughput NGS, providing upstream market context and helping track competitor capabilities and anticipated future technology and commercial moves.
- Work alongside Product Marketing to monitor emerging platforms, novel chemistries, and disruptive business models across the sequencing and broader genomics ecosystem, translating findings into upstream strategy inputs.
Workflow Monitoring
- Model total cost of workflow (reagents, instruments, informatics, labor) to support value-based selling and pricing strategy — experience in this area is a strong plus.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Collaborate closely with Sales, Marketing, R&D, and Finance to align on strategic priorities and ensure market insights are embedded throughout the product lifecycle.
- Present market strategy, competitive assessments, and market research to senior leadership and executive stakeholders.
Required Qualifications
- Typically requires a minimum of 8 years of related experience with aBachelor’sdegree;or 6 years and aMaster’sdegree;or a PhD with 3 yearsofexperience;or equivalent experience.
- Demonstrated experience designing and executing quantitative and qualitative market research methodologies, including conjoint analysis, win/loss interviews, and voice-of-customer programs.
- Proven ability to develop commercial go-to-market plans grounded in market evidence.
- Strong competitive analysis skills, including experience anticipating future competitor moves and developing strategic response frameworks.
- Solid technical understanding of NGS workflows, including library preparation, sequencing chemistry, and bioinformatics — sufficient to engage credibly with R&D and scientific customers.
- Experience working cross-functionally across Sales, Marketing, R&D, and Finance in a matrixed organization.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear strategic narratives for executive audiences
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience modeling total cost of workflow (TCW) across the NGS value chain, including instruments, reagents, informatics, and labor components.
- Proficiency in financial modeling
- Familiarity with oncology genomics applications, including tumor profiling, minimal residual disease (MRD), and whole genome sequencing in clinical contexts.
- Prior experience with high-throughput sequencing platforms or sequencing-adjacent technologies.
We are a company deeply rooted in belonging, promoting an inclusive environment where employees feel valued and empowered to contribute to our mission. Built on a strong foundation, Illumina has always prioritized openness, collaboration, and seeking alternative perspectives to propel innovation in genomics. We are proud to confirm a zero-net gap in pay, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or race. We also have several Employee Resource Groups (ERG) that deliver career development experiences, increase cultural awareness, and offer opportunities to engage in social responsibility. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to providing employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, creed, color, gender, religion, marital status, domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, pregnancy, military or veteran status, citizenship status, and genetic information. Illumina conducts background checks on applicants for whom a conditional offer of employment has been made. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws. Background check results may potentially result in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment. The background check process and any decisions made as a result shall be made in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws. Illumina prohibits the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the application and interview process. If you require accommodation to complete the application or interview process, please contact accommodations@illumina.com. To learn more, visit: https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf. The position will be posted until a final candidate is selected or the requisition has a sufficient number of qualified applicants.
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